Chapter 30 - Auto-Save
I was forced to join the professor for dinner because Miracle Shine caught me.
"What do you mean they're plotting something? What are you talking about?"
"It's obvious, Miss Miracle."
"Wait, Trau... Oh Ji-seok."
Though there were empty seats across from us, she insisted on sitting beside me. Now she was glaring at me after hearing my words.
"Don't call me that."
"...Yes, Miss Lilia."
She seemed so sweet when she was in her magical girl form, but in her adult appearance, both her speech and behavior were completely different.
"What exactly is the Hero Association plotting?"
Yet her eyes still burned with the same intensity as always. I found myself smiling at that, which prompted her to press for an answer.
"Want to know something chilling?"
"W-what is it? So suddenly."
"All top-ranking heroes except for ranks 2, 3, and... 11 are actually Corrupted."
Upon hearing this, her jaw dropped as she stared at me.
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely. Why would I lie to you now?"
She seemed to have fallen into a state of shock.
Well, I was also deeply shocked when I first learned the truth.
If I hadn't been able to see those damned tentacles with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either.
"The hero world you know is an illusion. Except for the Academy, which is one of the few organizations not taken over by the Corrupted."
"That's..."
"Believe it or not, it's up to you. But you must have seen it too that day. Those horrific tentacles."
Miracle Shine nodded at my words, her complexion turning pale.
I should probably give her some time to process this.
'I wonder if Dice felt this way when he told me the truth.'
As I quietly observed Miracle Shine, I felt someone's gaze on me from somewhere.
- Crunch... crunch crunch...
"Lumia? Did you bite into some sand? Spit it out quickly!"
"Why would there be sand in tteokbokki? It's not seafood, idiot."
Lumia was glaring at me while smiling.
"........?"
I wasn't particularly concerned since I already knew she wasn't quite right in the head. But for some reason, I still felt someone watching me.
'That's strange.'
I turned my head toward where I sensed the gaze, but all I could see was Ariel with her head bowed, looking at her smartphone.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
"I can't fully trust you."
As I scratched my head with an uneasy feeling, Miracle Shine spoke to me in a subdued voice.
"You could be deceiving me. You might have infiltrated the Academy with some other scheme in mind."
"That's possible."
"So I'm going to keep watching you."
"Do as you please."
Seeing the light return to her eyes, it seemed she had reached her own conclusion.
"Stop making that smug expression."
"Yes."
"By the way, if what you're saying is true... why did the Hero Association invite you?"
After being scolded by Miracle Shine for smiling contentedly, I lowered my voice to answer her narrowed-eyed question.
"Honestly, the Hero Association wouldn't have invited someone like Oh Ji-seok with no credentials."
"That's true."
"They probably want to either eliminate me or win me over. One of the two."
"I understand eliminating you, but winning you over?"
Miracle Shine gave me a dubious look.
"From their perspective, I'm still unaffiliated with any organization."
".........."
"They'll probably test the waters first, and if that doesn't work, they'll try to kill me."
That's probably how Justia died too.
That's just how they operate.
"So, are you going?"
"...I have to. Or rather, I have no choice."
"Why?"
"To catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger's den. It's a Korean proverb."
But I don't plan to run away. If I handle things well, this could be a perfect opportunity to extract information from them.
"It'll be dangerous."
"Oh? Are you worried about a villain?"
"...N-not exactly."
Miracle Shine trailed off at my words, then continued with a slightly darkened expression.
"But my ability is reacting like crazy."
"Your ability?"
"You'll need my help... never mind."
She abruptly cut herself off and fell back into thought.
'So it really is dangerous.'
Even with Justia's ability and Dominating Hands backing me, this mission will be quite dangerous.
After all, I'm essentially infiltrating the enemy's stronghold.
And all the top-ranking heroes—or rather, the Corrupted wearing their skins—will be attending the seminar.
Although ranks 2 (Miracle Shine), 3, and 11 (my noona) aren't Corrupted, and their forces have been significantly weakened after losing three members in the recent Academy disaster...
They still possess formidable power that can't be ignored.
Take Miracle Shine, for example—I subdued her by exploiting a moment of carelessness, not by overpowering her.
If it came to an all-out battle, there's no guarantee we could win even with all the Dominating Hands executives fighting together.
So what should I do?
Should I take out some kind of insurance?
"Hey, I'm curious about something."
As I was quietly lost in thought, Miracle Shine posed a question.
"You're not bringing an assistant, right?"
"Assistant?"
"It's customary for seminar attendees to bring at least one assistant. But given your situation, it would be better not to bring anyone."
As she said, there was no need to bring a companion into what was essentially a fiery pit.
I briefly considered bringing one of the Dominating Hands executives, but that seemed difficult.
Most of the executives' faces were already exposed, and Pandora, whose face remained unknown, wasn't a combat operative.
Plus, I-ra's transformation ability becomes less efficient and has a shorter duration when applied to multiple people.
"Well, I guess I have no choice but to—"
As I was getting up from my seat, thinking it would be best to go alone...
"...Ah."
A good idea suddenly struck me, and I quietly smiled.
"Actually, there is someone perfect to bring along."
What was that saying? "Kill two birds with one stone"?
"Student Lumia."
At this point, this seems like the perfect strategy.
"I have a proposal for you."
.
.
.
.
.
"What?"
Lumia, who had barely touched her food while glaring at Oh Ji-seok, looked up in surprise as he suddenly approached her.
"A proposal?"
"Before that, let me ask you something."
Ignoring the curious stares from the other students, Oh Ji-seok continued questioning Lumia.
"Have you received an invitation to the International Hero Seminar being held in a few days?"
"Oh, the seminar?"
She rolled her eyes briefly, then smiled as she pulled something out from her pocket.
"Of course I have!"
As the golden-emblazoned invitation from the Hero Association appeared, the students sitting nearby focused their attention on it.
"So jealous..."
"I heard you gain incredible experience just by attending once..."
The International Hero Seminar was where the world's strongest heroes gathered in one place.
It was where cutting-edge technologies from leading companies were showcased before public release, where the latest information was briefed, and where one could build countless connections just by attending.
Naturally, it was a dream venue for rookie heroes and aspirants.
Many rookie heroes volunteered to become sidekicks to higher-ranking heroes, and aspirants tried to impress professors—all for the chance to attend the seminar as assistants.
But Lumia had been invited not as an assistant but as a regular attendee.
No wonder the other students were looking at the invitation with envious eyes.
"That's unfortunate."
"What?"
"I also received an invitation to the seminar."
As Oh Ji-seok scratched his head while staring at Lumia, her eyes began to waver.
"I was planning to bring you as my assistant."
"Ah..."
"What a shame."
With those words, he quietly turned his back on Lumia.
- Riiiiip!
At that moment, the sound of something tearing echoed through the cafeteria.
"I just declined my invitation."
Ignoring the shocked expressions of the students around her, Lumia tore the invitation into pieces and said excitedly:
"So please take me as your assistant, Professor."
"...If that's what you want, I don't see why not."
After observing Lumia quietly, Oh Ji-seok answered with a slight smile.
'A date with Trauma, just the two of us? We'll walk side by side, ride in cars together... I'll have him all to myself for two whole days!'
"Oh, and..."
'Come to think of it, I'm disguised as a man right now. Does that mean we'll share a room?'
"........."
'Love you love you love you love you love you love you...'
"...Never mind."
He was about to add something but, after seeing Lumia's crazed expression, simply shook his head and left the cafeteria.
'...A bitch like you shouldn't sit at the same table as your master.'
".......?"
Finally coming to her senses, Lumia turned her attention back to her meal and began humming happily, after flashing a smile at the confused-looking Miracle Shine in the distance.
".............."
Someone was watching this scene with an expressionless face.
"Miss Ariel? Is something wrong?"
"...It's nothing."
After answering Hiroko's question, she quietly rose from her seat.
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Several days later. The day of the seminar.
- Professor? When will you arrive?
"I just got here, Student Lumia."
Oh Ji-seok, who arrived late due to Academy work, was about to enter the special administrative zone of Navaia artificial island to meet with Lumia, who had arrived earlier.
"By the way, I need to tell you something..."
"P-Professor."
Suddenly, a very familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Ariel?"
Oh Ji-seok, completely forgetting he was on the phone with Lumia, turned with a surprised expression.
"What are you doing here?"
"W-what a coincidence."
She answered with an awkward expression.
"I was also invited... to the seminar..."
"You were?"
"Y-yes."
She then mumbled in a small voice, slightly taken aback by his sharp reaction.
"Is there a problem with me being invited...?"
".........."
A brief silence followed.
"...Huh?"
Ariel, who had been feigning disappointment while fidgeting, suddenly widened her eyes and took a step back.
[Progress has been automatically saved!]
A bright red warning sign appeared before her eyes, along with a message she had never seen before.
- Professor? What do you mean by Ariel? What are you talking about?
"What is this...?"
Ariel's confused voice and Lumia's urgent voice from the smartphone blended together.